Spring 2018

Dear Reader, Every year, around Pesach time, I wonder why almost all kosher consumers put in extra effort to ensure that the food they buy and consume has the most reliable kosher supervision. It’s a bit peculiar how, suddenly, most … Continued

New for Pesach! Ginger Tipple is a range of kosher for Passover ginger beers, available in bottles and kegs. Brewed in Belgium in a craft-beer micro-brewery, the refreshing alcoholic ginger beers are made with the finest and natural ingredients to … Continued

13% market growth in 2017 104 countries producing kosher certified products 2018 is projected to see an increase in natural and organic kosher foods 100,000 to 125,000 Jews expected to spend Passover at resort programs 2017  saw the opening of over 100 new kosher … Continued

Dear Kosher Spirit,  1. Can I make kiddush on raisin wine? 2.  Does it need to be mevushal if non-Jews are present?   Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Sholom Ber Lepkivker responds: In times of great need, notably in the Russian gulags … Continued

Healthy Spirit – Horseradish Horseradish (maror) plays a starring role in the Pesach seder. It’s a member of the mustard plant family and has been used for thousands of years for nutritional and medicinal purposes.   Horseradish contains isothiocynate and … Continued

Countertops must either be kashered or covered for Pesach. If covering, one should make sure to use a non-porous material that will not easily rip or tear. If kashering, one must first scrub the countertop clean. Then it should be … Continued

Keeping Kosher When Vegan Going vegan is one of the top culinary trends of 2018, fueled by both health and eco conscious motives, with approximately 6% of Americans currently identifying as vegan. Vegan food does not contain ANY animal products … Continued

Rabbi Sholom Kesselman, OK West Coast Rabbinic Coordinator The purpose of this article is to bring awareness and provide information relating to this topic. Question: What’s with this seemingly new fuss people are making over insects in our produce? Is … Continued

What is yeast? Yeast is a microscopic fungus that metabolizes carbohydrates (sugars) into carbon dioxide gas and alcohols. It is used as a leavening agent in baking (carbohydrates turn into carbon dioxide and cause the dough to expand; the alcohol … Continued

The days and weeks leading up to Pesach are punctuated by the smell of Clorox and a slightly topsy-turvy home. While the requirement to clean for Pesach only applies to removing chometz, many Jewish homes are in full “Spring Cleaning” … Continued

Close your eyes and think back to Pesach when you were a child. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You’re 8, 9, or 10 years old, and sitting at your Pesach Seder. What’s the first memory that pops into your head? Is … Continued

Fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake by @naominachman pareve – yields 1 large Bundt cake – freezer friendly My friend Melinda Strauss is an expert at baking gluten free and paleo, and she kindly volunteered to create the perfect Bundt cake for my book. Batch … Continued

White Wine and Citrus Roasted Chicken by @overtimecook Meat | Yield 6-8 servings I learned this technique from a recipe in Susie Fishbein’s Kosher by Design Brings It Home. Cooking the chicken covered allows it to cook through; then the basting gets … Continued

Interview with Rabbi Osher Gutnick   KS: Where did you grow up? Where did you go to yeshiva? ROG: I grew up in Melbourne, Australia, where I attended Yeshivah College and Yeshivah Gedolah. I continued my rabbinic studies at the … Continued

Chassidic Insights: Why Do We Make Kiddush Right Away at the Seder? One year, upon arriving home from shul on the first night of Pesach, the Shpoler Zeida’s son announced in the customary niggun, “Kadesh: Ven der tatte kumt aheim … Continued

The Bread of Afflication The opening line of Maggid is “Hei lachma anya… (The Bread of Affliction eaten by our ancestors…)” The Aramaic phrase “di achalu avhasana” conventionally translated as “eaten by our ancestors” can also be interpreted as meaning, … Continued